Food Review: Big Papa's at Sunflower Lounge Birmingham

The Sunflower Lounge is a popular spot for live music and drinks in Birmingham City Centre, but did you know it is also serving up Southern American food too?

Perfecting their recipes and honing their skills on the street food scene, the boys have now taken over the kitchen at The Sunflower Lounge and are serving up Big Papa's soul food seven days a week.

Along with a host of beautiful Birmingham bloggers, I was lucky enough to try out the food first hand at the press dinner.

The menu is small but perfectly formed and features many of your favourite Low and Slow dishes including Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and Pork Chops.

The best way to enjoy the menu is probably to go for the £10 deal, where for this very reasonable price you'll receive a main and two sides, beautifully presented on a wooden crate! There are also starters including Hot Wings, Fried Okra and Blackened Shrimp available for £5 and sides for £3 each including Onion Rings, Salad and Sweet Potato Fries.

I love the fact that the menu is so simple, as it means that ordering is quick and easy (in theory).

I also loved the presentation and the fact that the food is served in a crate. It's a really unusual style of presentation that I don't think I've seen elsewhere in Birmingham, so it's unique! 

The attention to detail and thoughtfulness behind the food is evident from the carefully selected menu to the presentation and finishing touches on every dish. From the paprika on top of the mac and cheese to the twist of lime on the fried chicken, there is real passion behind the food. 

 

I took pictures of a few dishes to give you an idea of what's on offer.

I had the Pulled Cola Brisket Bun, minus the bun to accomodate my Gluten Free diet served with Blackened Shrimp (usually a starter) and Greens. The Cola Brisket was unlike anything I've had before. Cola gives a sweet, rich flavour to the meat whilst the hours of slow cooking meant the meat was tender and soft.

The blackened shrimp was a good portion of small shrimp that was simply cooked in butter and seasoned with lemon juice and herbs, and the Greens were tasty and very soft.

Here is an example of the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Mac and Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and two sauces, one spicy and one BBQ. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken was super crispy and not greasy; the same could be said of the fries which were very crispy indeed and yet soft and sweet inside.

We were able to have a chat with chef Anthony at the end of the night and found out more about the food, such as the fact that the Mango and Chilli sauce is homemade and that the food is all bought in fresh from the nearby Bullring Markets.

It also gave us an opportunity to see how passionate Anthony and Craig are about the food, the business and the city. Food always tastes better when there is real passipn behind it and these guys have it in spades.

Thank you to Anthony for inviting us down to try Big Papa's!